Katsuko's Story
by Alecto1
Summary: Son Katsuko has trained for seven years with her father Goku in Otherworld, but she wants to go home.
1. Default Chapter

This is actually by a friend of mine, penname also Katsuko. She doesn't have her own account, so I'm just posting and betaing it for her. Please read and review, I had to prod her into even posting this in the first place!!  
  
Dragon Ball Z (Kat's Version)  
  
Chapter 1:  
  
Gohan flopped onto the grass, Goten following after. The sun was starting to lower into the horizon, the pinks and oranges melting into one another. Their day of training was over.  
  
Goten stared up at the clouds and gave a happy sigh. "I bet Daddy's up there training, too. Do you think so, Gohan?"  
  
Gohan smiled wistfully and said. "Yeah. Him and Kat are probably training real hard."  
  
Goten got up on his elbow with a puzzled expression on his face. "Kat? Who's Kat?"  
  
Gohan facefaulted. "'Who's Kat?' You mean you don't know?"  
  
Goten flopped back down and put his hands behind his head for a pillow. "I don't think so. Is this a friend of Dad's, or something?"  
  
Gohan shook his head in disbelief. "Not really." He paused, and then added, "She's my twin sister, Goten."  
  
Finally Goten's light bulb went off. His face lit up. "I remember, now! Cell killed her the same day Dad died!"  
  
"Yep. That's her. I was afraid for a second that you had never heard of her."  
  
"Mom told me about Kat when I was little, but I kinda forgot." Goten rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, then looked up at his brother. "We don't talk about her much."  
  
"Yeah, Mom used to get teary-eyed everytime her name came up. When we were going to wish her and Dad back with the Dragonballs, she told us telepathically that we shouldn't waste a wish on her; that we should use it for a better cause. And we shouldn't worry because we would meet again, anyway. She also said that she could use the hyperbolic time chamber then, because Mom wouldn't be up there to tell her no!" Gohan smiled and looked at Goten who was staring at the clouds.  
  
Goten spoke. "I think she was a good enough cause."  
  
Gohan put an arm around his kid brother's shoulder. "Yeah. I think she was, too."  
  
Just then, breaking the silence, Chi Chi yelled, "Dinner!" They were in the kitchen before she finished the word.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Goku threw a punch at Katsuko, just missing her face. She grinned and started to punch at him with lightning speed. He dodged each of her blows, but he was amazed at the accuracy of them. Just then Katsuko punched him in the gut, sending him backwards. Even after the attack, she stayed alert to his movements.  
  
Goku stared at her aghast, then grinned. Katsuko phased out and reappeared behind him, ready to set a headlock. Goku had anticipated her movements, and flung his arms behind him to grab her. He swung her over his shoulders and threw her across the chamber. Katsuko hit one of the pillars, and slid down headfirst. She landed on her back with a thud. The pillar cracked, then crumbled to the ground around Katsuko's prone body.  
  
Katsuko lay there breathless. She should have expected that move from Goku, but she just hadn't thought about it at the time. Goku stood over her and held out a hand. "Hey, maybe we should take a break now, okay?"  
  
Katsuko looked up at him. She smiled and grabbed his strong hand. "Sounds good to me!" As he pulled her off the ground, Katsuko glanced at the pile of rubble that used to be a pillar. She turned and looked at her dad, grinning, and pointed behind her shoulder. "How many times have they had to fix that thing?"  
  
Goku thought a bit and said, "I think this is the seventh time."  
  
"We demolish it every year."  
  
"Yeah. Kat, how 'bout we clean ourselves up and get a bite to eat?"  
  
Kat's eyes widened. She was so hungry. "Yeah. I'm starved. But first I think I need to take a bath."  
  
"You go ahead. I'll make us some sandwiches."  
  
"Make sure that they're the kind that would make Dagwood proud, 'k?"  
  
Goku smiled that well-known smile of his. "OK."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kat eased her body into the steaming tub. She relaxed a bit then started scrubbing. She winced as the soap seeped through the cuts on her body. Then the hot water started to make her muscles ache.  
  
'Man!' she thought, 'My muscles are so sore! I've been training harder than I ever have before. I guess that's because the tournament's coming up. I can't even go, because Baba can only bring back one person at a time. This really sucks! But Dad really deserves to go back instead of me. He'd win for sure. I still wish there was a way for me to go. I am so ready! Oh, well. I guess there'll be other tournaments.'  
  
She leaned back in the tub, letting the bubbles drift off her. As she rested her head on the edge, she felt a sharp pang down her neck and back.  
  
'Itai! Dad sure threw me hard! I can't be a baby about it, though. I told him not to go easy on me 'cause I'm his daughter -- not like he would anyway. At least I know that he has a few cuts and bruises of his own!'  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Gohan and Goten were sitting at the table, stuffing their faces with rice. Chi Chi stared at them, holding her chopsticks in midair. She still couldn't figure out how Saiyans could eat so much and so fast.  
  
Finally they stopped and sat there, holding their stomachs with happy little smiles on their faces. "That was some good eats, Mom!" Gohan said.  
  
"Yeah, real good," Goten added.  
  
Chi Chi smiled at them. "Well, I'm glad you like it. For a second there, I thought you were going to burst!"  
  
"No Mama. We could never do that. 'Cause you said that our stomachs are bottomless pits!" Goten recited, still grinning goofily.  
  
"Well, that I know for a fact," Chi Chi replied as she took a bite of rice.  
  
Goten sat there, watching her eat. Finally he asked, "Mom, when are Dad and Kat coming for the tournament?"  
  
Chi Chi stopped eating. She knew he was going to ask this. Ever since Gohan had told him about Katsuko earlier that day, he had wanted to meet her. Even when he didn't think about her, she knew that deep down in his heart that he wanted to. It was the same thing about his dad, because he never got to meet him, either.  
  
She sat down her chopsticks and looked at her son, then spoke. "She's not going to the tournament, Goten."  
  
Goten's eyes widened. "But, why? Was she bad?"  
  
Chi Chi smiled and shook her head. "No. Not that I know of. You forget, though, that Baba can only bring one person back at a time. I bet she really wants to meet you, though."  
  
"Oh, yeah. Forgot." Goten looked down at his empty plate with a sad look on his face.  
  
Gohan saw this and said, "Cheer up, bud. I'll bet you'll get to see her next year at the tournament. Maybe even someday our whole family can be together."  
  
Goten's face brightened. "Do you really think so?"  
  
"Yeah, I do. Anyway, you get to meet Dad, right?"  
  
"Right!"  
  
Both of them smiled and nodded, turned to their mother, and asked, "Are you going to eat that?"  
  
Chi Chi looked at them and dropped her head in her hands.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Goku and Kat were packing their things, about to leave the Time Chamber. After Kat finished packing her clothes, she took out a little pouch from one of the pockets in her backpack. In it she had her most prized possessions: a friendship bracelet that Gohan had made for her when they were kids, some fortunes that she had gotten from fortune cookies, a sensu bean that Vegeta had thrown out, a pocketknife, her fingerless gloves, a blackbelt, and, her most precious and valuable item, a glass Dragonball with four stars on it. Mr. Popo had made it for her when she told him how much she missed the real Dragonballs. It was the closest thing she had to a "great-grandfather" while in Otherworld.  
  
She took the bracelet, gloves, and blackbelt out of the pouch and put them on. Then she tied the pouch to her waist. She turned to her father, who was standing at the door.  
  
"Ready to go?" Goku asked.  
  
Kat picked up her backpack and swung it over her shoulders. "Yeah, I'm ready." She walked over to Goku and gave a weak smile.  
  
Goku looked at her with worried eyes and asked, "Hey, Kitten, something wrong?"  
  
"Hm? Oh, no, not really." She paused. "Well, I just feel kinda stupid for that move I made earlier."  
  
Goku grinned and patted her shoulder. "Kat, it wasn't stupid. You just didn't think is all. It was a mistake. That's what training is for, isn't it? To find your weaknesses and fix 'em, right?"  
  
Kat nodded. "Right."  
  
"Kitten, there's still something wrong, isn't there?"  
  
"No." She looked away.  
  
"It's the tournament, isn't it?"  
  
Kat looked up at her father. 'How does he do that?' she thought. 'Well, I guess being with him 24/7 for seven years would do the trick.' She looked away from his eyes. "Yeah, but I'm fine. Really."  
  
"Are you sure? If you..."  
  
"Sure I'm sure. I mean, I can't get my way all the time. Anyway, I want you to meet Goten first. And I mean that, too." She grinned and turned toward the door. "C'mon, Dad. Let's go. Dende and Popo are probably waiting for us." The door opened and she walked out.  
  
Goku stood there a moment, thinking. "I know she wants to go to the tournament badly. She should go. She's been training hard. I'll just have to figure it out one way or another."  
  
He heard a voice from outside. "Hey, Dad! Are ya comin' or do you want to stay in there for another year?"  
  
Goku smiled. "Yeah. I'm comin'." He walked out of the chamber, and the door slammed behind him.  
  
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more chapters as soon as both this site and Kat's creative juices are running! Send comments, critisms, and as many ideas as you can to kpeng1@yahoo.com -- I'll make sure Kat gets them. Oh, and no need to sugarcoat the reviews -- she can handle it. 


	2. What to wish for?

Hey, this is Alecto posting Katsuko's story. I know I'm late, but don't blame the writer -- I'm just darn slow at typing things up. Enjoy the story, and don't forget to review! This chapter's a little short, but there should be another up soon to make up for it.   
  
Katsuko's Story -- Chapter 2  
  
The Sons, the Briefs, and the rest of the Z warriors were at the Kame house, sparring and talking about the upcoming tournament.   
"Well, we all know that I'm going to win, so I hope you amateurs are ready for a sound beating," Vegeta said smirking.   
18 rolled her eyes and flipped back her hair. "What makes you think that you're going to win?"  
Vegeta glared at her. "For starters, I have been training in the gravity room every day for years . . . "  
Trunks waved a hand in the air. "I did too, right Dad?" Vegeta nodded.   
"Yes, the brat too. He could beat you, blondie. You and I both know that Saiyans are the superior race!"   
Yamcha stared at them. This had been going on for way too long. "Will you guys just knock it off? You can find out who's better at the tournament!"   
Vegeta gave him 'the look.' Yamcha knew that look well; it was the one that said 'shut that hole in your mouth before I do it for you!' Yamcha shut it.  
Just then Bulma burst through the door, breathing heavily and grinning from ear to ear. "I . . . found . . . it! I . . . found . . . it!"  
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Found what, woman!"  
"Probably the reason why she called us here," Yamcha said. "Right?" Bulma nodded excitedly.  
Vegeta was getting tired of this. "Spit it out!"  
"I . . . have . . . the seventh DRAGONBALL!"   
By now most of the party had wandered over to see what was going on. Gohan stared at Bulma in amazement. "You mean . . . "  
"Yup! We can wish for whatever we want!" Bulma grinned. "Pretty cool of me, huh? I started hunting a while back, just for the heck of it."   
Master Roshi was very excited. It wasn't everyday that someone made a wish on the Eternal Dragon! "This is wonderful indeed! Heh, so what are we going to wish for? Hmm?"   
Meanwhile, Trunks and Goten were jumping up and down, screaming out wishes left and right. "Christmas forever!" "Pizza!" "Toys! Lots n'lots of toys!" "A trampoline!" Marron added her own wishes inbetween the two. "A dolly! Oooh, oooh, a pony!" The list went on and on.   
While Master Roshi was thinking, a voice popped into his head. "Um, Master Roshi? You there?"  
Roshi nearly jumped out of his skin. "Goku? Is that you?" Everyone stopped talking and focused their attention on Master Roshi.   
Goku smiled and started talking again. "Yeah, it's me. Talkin' to ya telepathically from all the way up here in Otherworld."   
"Oh. How many times do I have to tell you not to come waltzing into my head and start yelling? It's enought to bring a guy out of the grave!"   
"Sorry, Master Roshi. Hey, I was wondering . . . um . . . how many Dragonballs do you have?"   
"What's he saying?" Piccolo asked.   
Roshi looked at all of them. "He wants to know how many Dragonballs we have!"   
Everyone got puzzled looks on their faces. "So, why does he want to know?" Chi Chi asked.   
Roshi spoke. "Um, just got the seventh today. Why do you ask?"  
"That's great! I mean, er, I just wanted to ask if you could use one of your wishes to bring Katsuko back."   
Roshi was taken aback. He wasn't expecting this! "Katsuko?"  
Everyone gasped. Chi Chi elbowed her way to Roshi, her eyes glittering with hope. "Katsuko? My baby? What about her?"  
"He wants to know if we want to use one of our wishes to . . . to . . . to bring Katsuko back."   
The room went silent. Then everybody started talking at once. Krillin smiled. "Katsuko?! Wow! I've missed that kid!"  
Piccolo gave a small grin. "What, you mean that little troublemaker . . . . "  
Chi Chi's eyes filled with tears as she thought about her daughter coming back. "Oh, my little baby girl . . . "  
Vegeta rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Hmph. That annoying Saiyan brat."   
Bulma whirled around to face him. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that! She liked -- likes -- you very much, Vegeta! So knock it off!"  
Vegeta grunted.  
"What?!"  
"Nothing."  
"That's what I thought."  
Trunks was listening to all this. 'What are they talking about?' He thought. "Um, Mom, who's Katsuko?"   
Bulma looked at her son. "Don't you remember her? Oh, wait. You were just a baby. She is Gohan's twin sister. She liked you a lot."   
"She did?"  
Bulma nodded.  
"Oh." Trunks paused. "How'd she die?"  
Krillin smiled. "By saving your life! Er well, your future self anyway."  
"Huh? What do you mean?"  
"When we were fighting Cell . . . you've heard of Cell, haven't you?"  
Trunks rolled his eyes. "Duh. I'm not stupid."  
"Yeah you are!" Goten chirped.  
"Shut up!" Trunks said shoving him. The two boys settled down after a glare from Vegeta. Krillen chuckled nervously.   
"Ooookay. Anyway, he was about to self-destruct when . . . "  
Trunks was getting antsy. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Goten's dad sacrificed himself and blahblahblah. Now get to the part where she saves me!"   
"Alright, alright! Geez! Okay, so we thought Cell was dead and gone, but he regenerated and came back down to Earth, sending a blast straight toward your future self! Katsuko noticed this and dove right in front of you, thus, saving your life! You happy now?"   
Trunks stared at Krillin open-mouthed. "Whoa . . . cool! I can't believe she did that for me!"   
Gohan patted him on the shoulder. "Yep. Believe it."   
Trunks faced Master Roshi, an unusually serious look on his face. "Master Roshi, tell Goku that we'll wish her back."  
Vegeta's face reddened. "What?! You don't even remember what she looks like! What do you want to wish her back for?"  
Master Roshi chuckled. "Well, that's one vote. Anyone else?"  
Everyone raised their hands, except for Vegeta. They all stared at him. After a minute or so he rolled his eyes and raised his hand. "So much for immortality," he mumbled.   
Master Roshi focused his mind back on Goku.   
"Goku?"  
"I'm here, Master Roshi. So, what did they say?"  
"We all agreed."   
" . . . Even Vegeta?"  
"Well, eventually, yes."  
"That's great! Tell everyone thanks . . . um, Master?"  
"What is it, Goku?"  
"Can you wish her back tomorrow?"  
"Sure. Why do you ask?"  
"She should probably have a chance to get to know everybody before the tournament, and, well . . . I'd like another day with my daughter."  
"Say no more, Son. We'll wish her back tomorrow."   
"Okay, great! Thanks a lot!"  
"Oh, one more thing. How does Katsuko feel about this?"  
"Well, she doesn't know about it yet. I'll tell her tomorrow morning as a surprise."   
"I bet she'll be thrilled! Heh, heh!"  
"Yeah. Well, I got to go! I promised Kat I'd do some weight training with her today."  
"Okay Goku. Train hard!"   
"We will, Master Roshi. We will." 


	3. Last goodbyes

Hi all! Thanks to everybody who reviewed last time, and who are checking back to read this chapter. I have more that Kat's written, and it'll be posted by the end of winter break. Merry Christmas everybody!   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Kat owns Katsuko.  
  
  
"You want to wish me back?" Katsuko said, looking at her father. They were at Dende's Lookout, and Goku was telling her the news.   
"Yep. And not just me, either. All of our friends want you back, too. Especially your mother."  
"I can't believe they just found the seventh Dragonball yesterday. Why were they even collecting the Dragonballs?"  
Goku grinned. "I dunno. Bulma probably just got bored."  
"Talk about good timing. But . . . "  
Goku frowned. "But, what? You do want to go back, don't you?"  
"Yes, of course! But I just feel so . . so . . I don't know. Selfish, I guess."  
Goku smiled and shook his head in disbelief. "How could you possibly feel selfish when I was the one who asked for you to go back?"  
"I shouldn't have said anything earlier. I was being a baby about it by wanting to go to the tournament. I'm wasting their wishes."  
"No, kitten, you're not. THey told me themselves they didn't mind."  
"I know. But . . . "   
Goku put his hands on her shoulders. "Kat, listen. It's not only you or them that want you to go back. *I* want you to go. You have your whole life ahead of you."  
"But, what about you? I'd be abandoning you. Won't you be lonely?"  
Goku smiled. "Me? Heck no! You forget that I'm a grown man. I can take care of myself. Trust me. You won't hurt my feelings, kitten. I love you a lot, and I want what's best for you. Understand?"  
Katsuko looked up into her father's eyes, and impulsively hugged him. "Thank you so much, Dad. I'll never forget this. I've wanted this so bad, but I just felt so guilty about it. I don't anymore, though."   
"Good. I'm glad."  
"Well, I guess I'd better tell Dende I'm leaving." She smiled at Goku , and ran over to Dende. The young Namek was standing at the entrance of the Lookout.   
Dende saw her and smiled. The two had gotten to know each other quite well since Katusko had died, especially since they were around the same age. With a pang, Kat realized that her dad wasn't the only person in Otherworld she'd miss.   
Oh, but to see her brother again . . Katusko grinned at Dende, her eyes sparkling.   
"I'm going back, Dende! Isn't that great!"  
"Yes, I know you are. And it's wonderful. I'm very happy for you."   
"Really? How did you know already?"  
"Goku told me. And I'm the one who summons the Eternal Dragon, remember?"  
"Oh, yeah. Duh."  
"Um, Katsuko?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I want to give you something. Wait here while I go get it." Dende walked into the Lookout, returning with something hidden in his fist.  
"I've been waiting for the right time to give this to you. Now that you're going back to Earth, I guess it's the only time left." He opened his fist and revealed a necklace. A bright light seemed to shine from within it. Even with the blinding glow, Kat leaned closer for a better look.   
"Here, let me put it on you." Dende slipped it over her head, and the light faded. Katsuko held the pendant in the palm of her hand.   
"Oh Dende, it's beautiful!" She said in awe. The pendant was a ball about the size of a shooting marble. Inside a multitude of red and gold swirled around; flowing like a river of lava. "I . . . I love it, Dende. Thank you so much."   
Dende smiled at her. "It's not just an ordinary necklace, you know."  
Katsuko looked up. "It isn't?"  
"No. It'll protect you from the moon."  
"What do you mean?"  
"You haven't been on Earth for quite a while, so I can see why you wouldn't think of it. With your tail, you run the risk of turning into an Oozaru each full moon."  
"Oh, yeah! You mean as long as I wear this, I can stare at the moon all I want?"  
"You got it! And another thing, you shouldn't take the necklace off. I put some of your life energy into it so it'd work. If you take it off, you'll notice that you'll feel much weaker than usual. If you take it off once or twice it should still work, but don't take it off unless it's absolutely necessary."  
"Got it. Anything else I should know about it?"  
"No. Wait, yes, there is. It's not important really, but since the pendant has some of your energy in it, it will change colors according to your emotions."  
"Cool! Kind of like a mood ring!"  
"I guess so, but this is accurate."  
"Dende, this is the most special, most beautiful gift I've ever recieved. Thank you, Dende. Thanks a lot." She hugged the Namek, who was blushing bright purple. "I'll miss you so much. You're my best friend, you know."   
"I know. I'll miss you, Kat."  
She let go of him and have a weak smile. "Well, you better go summon that dragon."  
"Okay. See ya."  
"See ya."  
Dende smiled and disappeared. Goku walked over to Katsuko. "I'll see you in a couple of weeks at the tournament, 'K?"  
Katsuko nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you then. Thanks again, Dad." She walked to the center of the lookout and waved. Goku smiled and waved back. "Miss you already!" He called.   
"Bye! I'll say hi to everyone for ya!" Suddenly a bright aura surrounded Kat, and she was engulfed by the gold flames.   
*This is it,* Katsuko thought. *I'm going home. And I'm ready.*  
And with that she disappeared.   
  
Remember to review, people! 


	4. Old friends, new family, and the second ...

Hi everybody! *Waves* Thanks a lot to everybody who's reviewed so far -- you guys are the greatest! Here's the new chapter.   
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Kat owns Katsuko. Well, duh.   
  
Chapter 4: Old family and new additions; the second wish.  
  
Everyone watched Dende as he summoned the Eternal Dragon. They were camped out on Capsule Corp's front lawn, as the immense dragon would simply be written off as another odd experiment by any passersby. A bright light surrounded the Dragonballs, then a shaft of light shot out into the unnaturally dark sky. The shape of a gigantic dragon emerged from the light.   
"STATE YOUR FIRST WISH," the dragon boomed. Dende turned back to look at the Z-fighters. "Are you sure you want to wish Katsuko back?" Everyone nodded. Vegeta sulked, and Dende shrugged. He would miss the girl hanging around the lookout. "Alright. I'll tell him now." He turned back to the dragon, spread out his hands, and shouted a string of Namekian at the dragon. A pinpoint of reddish light appeared at head height. The pinpoint widened into a minature sun, shooting out beams until people averted their eyes. Vegeta stared directly into the light, arms crossed impatiently. When the others looked back,the glow had faded. Standing there, with a grin on her face, was a tall girl. Son Katsuko was back, a girl they hadn't seen in seven years. Piccolo, which hadn't looked away either, smirked. *The troublemaker's back. I wonder if she can beat Gohan yet . . . *  
Katsuko scanned the crowd for a moment. Then, breaking the silence, she yelled, "Mom!" Kat ran over to Chi-Chi, who immediately embraced her and burst into tears.   
"My baby girl! Oh, I've missed you so much, honey! Have you been eating all right? How's your father doing?"  
"Of course I have, mom! Dad eats even more, he's doing fine." Katsuko's grin softened. "I've missed you too." She let go of her mother and walked up to Krillen. "Hey, Uncle Krillen! How's it going?" She smiled at him, then paused. "Krillen. You have HAIR! Ooooh, is it real?" She took a strand experimentally in her fingers and tugged. Krillen flinched.   
"Ow! Hey, what's the big idea?" Everyone burst out laughing, and even Vegeta and Piccolo smiled.   
"Yep, it's real. Oh, I'm sorry! It's just that you looked a whole lot cooler when you were bald. Not that you don't look good now or anything." Kat paused for a breath, and Krillen smiled. "You haven't changed much, still the chatterbox. Thanks, I think. It took a while for everyone else to adjust to my hair, too. Hey, you want to meet my family? This is my daughter Marron, and my wife 18."  
Katsuko smiled at Marron. "Well, aren't you a cutie!"  
Marron beamed. "Thank you bunches, lady!"   
18 walked over and shook hands with Kat. "Nice to meet you."  
"Wow. 18! This is so cool! I'm actually shaking hands with an android!" Just then she saw Goten nearby looking up at her. "Gohan? Shouldn't you have grown by now?"  
Goten smiled, a real Son grin. "I'm not Gohan, Kat-sister! I'm Goten!"  
"Kat*sister*?! Wow . . . " Kat smiled in return and knelt down to give him a hug. "Nice to meet ya, little bro! Hey, where is my twin anyway? It can't be that tall guy over there can it?"  
Gohan rubbed the back of his neck in embarrasment. He sniffed, a little overcome by finally having his twin back. "Yeah, it's me alright!" Katsuko walked over and they hugged.   
"Does Mom still make you study?"  
"Uh-huh. You'll have to start up again, probably." Kat made a face, then grinned. Even the threat of studying couldn't make this day bad.  
"Now, where's little Trunks at?" He walked up from behind his father.   
"I'm not little anymore, see?" He solemly held out his hand to shake, and Kat took it. "Do you really remember me?"   
"How could I forget that purple hair of yours? You look real strong, too. Bulma, you've got a pretty cool kid here." Trunks beamed.   
"Thank you, but you haven't seen him in action yet," Bulma said. "He can be a handful. I bet you'd like to said hi to Vegeta. RIGHT, VEGETA?"  
Vegeta grunted. Kat walked up to him, ready to shake hands. "Hello Vegeta. Nice to see you again." She grinned, still holding our her hand. Suddenly Vegeta threw a punch at her face. Startled, Kat crossed her arms to block the blow just in time.   
"Vegeta! Behave!" Bulma yelled.   
He pulled back his fist and nodded, as if some important test had just been passed. "She's Kakarott's brat, alright. Hasn't slacked off, either." He sent a pointed look at Gohan, who decided to ignore it. Katsuko relaxed.   
"I'm doing great, thanks for asking." She smiled as she put her hands on her hips, "Gee Veggiehead, what'd you do that for?"  
Vegeta clenched his fists. Why did she persist with that . . . that *name* after seven years! "Oh, I don't know, Kitten!" Her face darkened at the hated nickname and he smirked.   
"Fine, we're even. But remember, Dad is the only one who gets away with calling me that." She turned and headed towards Piccolo and Yamcha. Yamcha chuckled.   
"Kat, I can't believe you guys are still going at it. At least you should have matured a little."  
"Yeah, well." She shrugged. "I'm glad to see you guys again. Hey, Piccolo, could you do some weight training with me later?"  
"I think we can arrange that."  
"Cool."   
Piccolo begrudged a rare smile at the demi-saiyan girl. He had never been as close to her as he was to Gohan -- Katsuko had gone home with her mother that crucial first night of Piccolo's training. She had wanted to come along and protect her brother, but Chi-chi had kept the child at home. Despite her efforts, Kat had trained with her mother instead of her twin. She and Gohan had been fairly inseperable during peacetimes, though, and Piccolo accepted the girl without question.   
As everybody caught up, Vegeta saw something he had forgotten about. Her tail! Kat still had one, long and twirling around her ankles. *I can't believe it!* Vegeta thought *I thought she would have gotten rid of it by now. It isn't an issue, though. She's bound to lose it sometime.*  
Nobody else seemed surprised by the tail. They remembered her with it before, so they didn't expect anything else. Goten, jealous, couldn't stop staring at the furry appendage.   
Dende waited patiently until things had settled down somewhat. Then he spoke. "Guys, what's your second wish?"  
Everyone froze. "A second wish? I had forgotten all about that!" Yamcha said excitedly. Then people started trying to decide on another wish. Goten and Trunks were jumping up and down screaming out wishes, each more extravagent than the last. Amid all the talk, Marron pushed through the crowd unnoticed and toddled up to the Eternal Dragon. Katsuko looked over, then followed her and lifted Marron onto her shoulders in front of the huge dragon.   
"Tell him what you want, sweetie."  
Marron looked up at the Eternal Dragon and grinned prettily. "Um, Mr. Dragon? I wanted to know it you could stay a little and have a tea party with me? It'll be really fun!"  
The Dragon was silent for a moment, then spoke in a booming voice. "YOUR SECOND WISH WILL BE GRANTED."   
Krillen looked up from his argument with Yamcha. "Second wish? Huh?"  
*POOF!* A child-sized table piled high with petit fours and a pink tea service appeared before the confused group. Four teddy bear guests were already seated around the table. Then Marron and the Eternal Dragon sat down to tea.   
When they saw this, everybody had different reactions. The women, Gohan and Dende thought it was hilarious, while the rest sulked and considered their wishes. Vegeta, well . . . it was all he could do to keep himself from blasting Marron. He looked down at his hands, weighing out the options. "Eternal life . . . tea party. Eternal life, tea party, Eternal life . . . "  
Trunks and Goten scowled for a while, but seeing the delicate layered cakes on the table, they dashed over. "Uh, Marron?" Trunks said. "Can we . . . well, it was Goten's idea . . . sorta . . . canwejoinyourteaparty?"  
Marron thought for a moment and said, "Sure! Mr. Dragon, can we please have some more food for our guests?" The Dragon was in a fairly good mood, so he zapped up some more cakes for the two.   
"Thanks!" They said in unison, then chowed down.  
Vegeta didn't like the look of this at all. "My son will not attend tea parties with pigtailed girls! He's a Saiyan warrior, not some weakling!"  
Bulma giggled helplessly. "You know he's not doing it for the company. He's there for the food. How more Saiyan can you get?"  
Katsuko overheard the two and cracked up. "Yeah, Vegeta, cut him a break!"  
The rest of the group finally stopped thinking about other wishes and saw the humor in Marron's wish. She was only a child, after all -- they couldn't be too mad. Besides, the sight of the Eternal Dragon holding a tiny, pink flowered teacup in one giant claw, pinky claw politely outstretched as Marron lectured Goten on good manners was worth a wish.  
After the tea party was over Marron gave the dragon a hug, or at least all she could reach. "Thank you, Mr. Eternal Dragon."   
"Yeah, thanks!" Trunks and Goten added.   
The Dragon smiled (well, it looked like a smile, anyway.) "MY PLEASURE. YOU ARE MUCH MORE POLITE THAN YOUR CONTINUALLY-DYING FAMILIES." He shot up into the sky and disappeared. The Dragonballs flew in all different directions with a blur of light. The children waved as they watched the Eternal Dragon disappear.   
Dende turned to Katsuko and said, "I have to go now." He turned to everyone else and waved. "See you later! Good luck, Katsuko."  
She gave him a quick hug. "Thanks for everything, Dende." Dende nodded and smiled, then disappeared.   
  
Well, that's it for now. Remember the little button below -- REVIEW, people! Next chapter: Kat gets used to family life and begins school. 


	5. Life on Earth

Hi all! Here's the next chapter of Katsuko's Story. Thanks to everybody who reviewed the past stories, your comments really brighten up the day. ^__~  
  
An awkward silence settled over the group as they continued to watch the sky where the Dragon had disappeared. Without warning, Katsuko shot straight into the air. She flew about 30 feet, then hovered there, gazing at the horizon.  
Chichi, startled, shouted, "Katsuko! What are you doing?!"  
Katsuko looked down at the confused group and smiled. "I'm watching the sunset! It's so gorgeous! I forgot how beautiful the sunsets on Earth are!"  
Bulma cupped her hands and yelled, "Well, you better get down here and quick, because it's almost dinner time!"  
Katsuko's eyes grew wide. She took another quick gaze at the sun, then phased out and appeared right next to Bulma. "So, what's cookin'?"  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Dinner was finished, and everyone, Saiyans and all, had had their fill. Well, almost. Goten and Trunks, who were still hungry even after the huge feast with Marron and the Eternal Dragon, were fighting over the last cinnamon rice ball. They stood forehead to forehead with the lonely uneaten rice ball inbetween them.  
"No fair, Goten! I reached for it first!"  
"Yeah, well I'm hungrier!"  
They continued on for a while until Vegeta reached in between them, grabbed the rice ball in his hand and then popped it in his mouth. "Problem solved."  
Both of them watched Vegeta slowly chewing the rice ball. Then, sighing rather loudly, they plopped back into their seats. Katsuko longingly looked at the empty plate from where there had once been a pile of them. She loved rice balls, especially her mother's.  
Gohan chuckled, then turned his gaze to Chichi. "Hey, Mom? Is Kat going to go to my high school?"  
Everyone's eyes turned to Katsuko, who gave a nervous laugh. "I've been thinking about her education too, Gohan," Chichi said as she rested her chin on her hands. "But I don't want her to go into high school just yet. She's been away for seven years, and probably hasn't even touched a book once. I don't think that she's prepared at all for the entrance exams."  
Katsuko, who had been busily examining her hands, looked up and grinned. "Actually, Mom, I have been studying." Everyone thought this was hilarious. She looked around the huge table. "What? What's so funny?"  
Everyone, except 18 and the kids, knew that Katsuko didn't do so well when it came to the studying department. She was smart, no doubt about that. It was just that she didn't like it. Back before Cell came along, they always would find her hiding out at the Son's fishing hole, trying to escape from studying. Krillin, smiling, said, "You studied on your own?"  
Katsuko grinned sheepishly, and started to rub the back of her neck. "Well...no. Dad made me study."  
This was even funnier. Goku? Make his kid study? Come on.  
"So, your dad tutored you?" Yamcha asked.  
"No...Actually, King Kai set up people to take turns. You wouldn't believe how many smart dead people there are . . . Dad made me study, because he said he didn't want to get in trouble the instant he saw Mom again. He said that way all of Mom's work shouldn't be put to waste. He did try to help me with my homework once, though." She chuckled. "I remember when I was learning about the history of genetics. He tried to help me study about the role of Mendel. I got confused, then he got confused, so we just ended up going back to the teacher anyway."  
Chichi smiled. "So, what was the role of Mendel?"  
Katsuko's grin faded. "What was his role? Um..." She scratched her head. "Wasn't he the guy that made hybrid pea plants grow taller?"  
Chichi nodded. "Yes, that was him."  
Katsuko beamed. "Awright!! I actually remembered something I studied for once!"  
"What I want to know is how did Goku actually keep you studying without you running off?" Piccolo asked.  
"Well, we made a deal. He said that if I studied when I was supposed to, I could train with him in the hyperbolic time chamber each year. If I played hooky, then I'd have to make it up immediately. But, I only did it a couple times when I first started."  
Chichi sighed happily. "Well, I'm glad that Goku cares about your education enough to help you study. But the hyperbolic time chamber? Doesn't that place go on forever? You could have gotten lost, sweetie."  
"Well, we kept that from happening by staying within eyesight of the building. The training was tough, but I think it made me stronger."  
"How many kanji symbols do you know?" Chichi said, changing the subject. "Before that charade with Cell, you knew about 100."  
Katsuko thought for a moment. "Probably 1,000. Maybe not that much, but around there. I also know all of the romanji characters. See, I love learning languages and other forms of writing. That's actually fun to me, and not too many of the people in Otherworld spoke Japanese."  
"What languages did you learn?" Bulma asked.  
"I know some English, and a few words in Spanish. Before I came back, I was just starting to learn the Arabic alphabet. There are so many people to learn things from. Oh, and a language that was really fun to learn was Namekian. Dende taught me."  
Piccolo seemed very pleased with this. "Tell me something in Namekian, Katsuko."  
"Um...okay. Let me think." She paused for a couple seconds, then spoke. "Owana irad ley. It means I am a jelly donut," she told the others, cracking up. "See, there was this one Venusian named . . . and then . . . Nevermind. I think you had to be there."  
Piccolo gave a half-smile. "That's pretty good, but your accent is lacking a little."  
Katsuko nodded. "Yeah, I know. But Dende said that if I work on it a little longer, I'll sound just like a real Namek. Do you think you could continue teaching where Dende left off?"  
"Sure."  
"Thanks."  
"Well, it seems that you've learned quite a bit while you were gone," Chichi said, "But before you take the exams, I want you to study with me for about a week so I know where you're at."  
Katsuko slouched. She thought that by telling her mother all that she learned she might be able to skip high school alltogether. *Oh well. Maybe it'll be fun. I'll probably get to meet Gohan's new friends.*  
Bulma took a sip of her coffee and set it down on the table. "Chichi, you need to take a break. I mean, you're already tutoring Goten! Why don't you let Katsuko come over here to study? I've hired a student teacher to tutor Trunks for a while. He's a college student, and he does great with Trunks."  
Chichi nodded. "Alright. But can he teach her some more kanji? I want her to learn some more, just so she can get up to Gohan's level. He knows about 2,000."  
Katsuko jerked her head toward her brother. *2,000?! How did he do that? Well, probably because he studied more than me before I died.* Gohan smiled and shrugged.  
Bulma grinned at this. "Yes. I'm sure he could teach her some kanji."  
"Good. It's settled then. So, when does she start?"  
"On Monday. It'll give her a couple of days to get herself acquainted with life again."  
Katsuko listened to their conversation and sighed. She wouldn't be able to get out of it if she tried. She was going to school.  
  
There ya go, people -- you've read, so go ahead and review! 


	6. Bad Dreams

Hi everybody! Thanks to everybody who reviewed last chapter -- it's so cool having fans! Yippee! *Clears throat* Um, anyhow . . . the disclaimer. Akira Toriyama owns DBZ, Katsuko owns Kat and the plot. And on to the fic!   
  
Katsuko's Story Chapter 6  
By Katsuko  
  
"...Goodbye, my children," Goku said as gently and lovingly as possible given the circumstances. He smiled at Gohan and Katsuko then focused his attention on Cell. He put a hand on Cell's bulging body. He was about to self-destruct, so Goku had to act quickly. Goku raised his two fingers up on his forehead.  
"Wh-what are you doing?!" Cell screamed at the saiyan.  
Katsuko realized what he was about to do. She ran toward her father, reached out to grab his gi, but she was too late. All she caught was air, and she fell to the ground, letting out a muffled cry of pain. She was already hurting from when Cell had thrown her into a giant wall of rock.  
Goku and Cell disappeared. The only evidence that Cell had finally self-destructed was a tiny pinpoint of light in the sky. The Z Warriors stood there, dumbstruck.  
"DADDY!" Gohan screamed, sending his voice way out into the distance. He broke down and started to cry. "Dad..." he whispered.  
Krillan walked over to Gohan first and put his hand on the demi-saiyan's shaking shoulders. "Let it out, little buddy. Let it out."  
Katsuko was silent, save for a couple of muffled cries. She was still on the ground, staring at the brown earth. Her breaths came in shuddering gasps. Tears stung her eyes, but she forced them back angrily. She wouldn't cry...no, she mustn't. But why did it have to be so hard? Why did those tears feel so much stronger than she was? She remembered what Vegeta said that one day a few years ago when she had taken a pretty bad fall and started to cry. "Crying is for weaklings. Your tears shame the entire Saiyan race. I guess this shows how much of a weakling you are." Since then, Katsuko made it her goal to never cry...ever. She wanted to show Vegeta that she was proud to be a mighty Saiyan. But now . . . it was so hard. She didn't speak; if she did that lump in her throat would surface and the tears would fall.  
"Go ahead, Katsuko." Katsuko's head snapped up and her eyes met Piccolo's. "You know that we won't think less of you." She looked into his black eyes. They were filled with concern and a deep sense of loss. She shook her head violently from side to side. Getting up, she gathered enough strength to speak.  
"NO! I will NOT cry! I won't! Tears aren't enough! When Cell killed all of those innocent people, I was sad, but I could take it. When he hurt all of my friends, I was pushed even further. But, when he kills my father, and makes my brother cry . . . that . . . that I can't take!" She bit her lip. She could feel the tears coming again.  
Krillin walked up to her, hand outstretched. "C'mon, Kat...Settle down..."  
Katsuko swung her hand in front of her just missing Krillin's hand. Krillin backed away. "No...NO! I will NOT settle down! Go away and leave me alone!"  
She backed up a few steps then shot into the air, but just as her feet left the ground she felt a hard grip on her upper arm. She let out a cry of pain as she was forced back on the ground. She was jerked around to face Vegeta. "Stop this right now, Katsuko!" She tried hard to get out of his grip, but the more she struggled, the harder he squeezed.  
"Let me go, Vegeta!"  
"You're not making matters better! You're only making things worse for yourself and the rest of us! Your father is dead! Face it!"  
"NO! Let me GO!"  
"If you keep on acting like this, I'm going to have to--"  
"NO! I don't want to! NO!"  
That was it . . . he wasn't going to put up with this insolence any longer. He took his right hand off her arm and then slapped her sharply across the face, jerking her face to the left. She immediately quieted and stopped her struggles. The shock had knocked the wind out of her. The blow made her feel as if she had been stabbed with a knife. Nobody had ever hit Katsuko in that way before. Once Chichi had smacked Katsuko's hand to keep her from stealing food, but...nothing like this.  
She stared up at Vegeta. The pain of the blow itself had gone down, but her left cheek throbbed and stung badly. Then, she realized how she had just acted. Her eyes blurred and the tears fell. There was no stopping them now; once they came she couldn't stop them.  
She failed Vegeta and the Z Warriors. And, even worse . . . her father. If he had seen what she had just done, breaking down like this and making a scene during battle, he would have been so disappointed. She couldn't do anything about it; just stand there and let the cool tears fall down her hot cheeks.  
Vegeta loosened his grip on her other arm. He glared at her. *She's crying. Just what I need after dealing with this. But . . . Don't get used to this, brat.* Vegeta rolled his eyes, opened his arms and looked away. Katsuko wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his stomach. She was sobbing openly now. Despite the fact that she was ashamed of herself, crying felt so good! It felt so great to be able to let go and cry. But, it still showed weakness. Letting go was too easy. "I'm so sorry, Vegeta . . . I'm so sorry that I have shamed the Saiyan race." Vegeta looked at the Z Warrior's faces, expecting smiles. But, their faces were serious, and their eyes were on Katsuko. *Good. They don't think I'm soft. They probably assumed that she hugged me instead of me letting her. As long as it made her shut up...*  
Katsuko let go of Vegeta and turned around. She was still crying, but she managed to force a smile. "I'm really sorry, you guys. What I did just now...that was wrong. That was not needed."  
Krillan walked up to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Kat, don't worry about it. You held in your hate for Cell too long. At least you got some of it out."  
Gohan rushed over to her. He had stopped crying by now, and was more interested in his sister than anything else. "Kat, it'll be okay. Just don't do that again, all right? I was really worried about you."  
Katsuko embraced him. "Okay, Onita(brother), I won't. I'm really sorry, Gohan."  
He smiled. "It's okay, little sister." Gohan always had referred to her as 'little sister,' because he was oldest by a full five minutes. It had always been a point of contention between the two. Katsuko looked over Gohan's shoulder and saw Mirai Trunks standing about ten feet away, his face full of concern. She winced. *He saw me cry! Oh, Kami! Why did he have to see me cry, him of all people? He probably thinks I'm a little baby...*  
Just then she sensed a strong amount of ki. She looked up at the sky. "Cell?"  
Gohan looked puzzled. "Huh?" Everyone looked at the sky. Vegeta and Piccolo had sensed it, too.  
"He's back," Piccolo muttered.  
Katsuko sensed a powerful force, and it was growing bigger. *A ki blast?* Her eyes grew wide as she realized what was happening. The energy was headed toward Mirai Trunks! *How dare you, Cell? First you hurt my family, and now Trunks? No, Cell, you won't succeed...* She screamed, and flew right in front of him, the ki blast going right through her stomach. The world faded as . . .   
Katsuko jolted up from her bed, clutching her stomach. Sweat covered her entire body. She lifted her shirt and looked at her stomach. She gave a shuddering sigh of relief. There was no hole. In the pale light she saw Gohan and Goten sleeping nearby, their blankets going up and down to the rhythm of their breathing. She flopped back down on her pillow and held up the round pendant on her neck. The colored swirls had turned a blood red and black.  
  
Freaky flashback, hm? Next chapter: Kat starts out at school. Oh boy. ^_~ 


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